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Alerta Democratica means “Democratic Alert”. Even though democracy has been chosen as the dominant form of government in our region, there is a need to be alert to the quality of that democracy.

The scenarios draw attention to the risks and opportunities of the present that can make a difference for a high-intensity democracy in the future. This is why the Scenario Team chose the name “Alerta Democrática” to provoke reflection and dialogue around democracy in our societies. Alerta Democrática is not just a name, it is the collective cause of the diverse team of leaders that came together to construct these scenarios with the hope of contributing to the development of higher quality democracies in Latin America.

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The scenarios draw attention to what could happen in the future of democracy in the next 15 years. Based on a collective reading of current reality, the scenarios are an instrument for promoting strategic dialogue and action.

The United States has a long history of involvement and intervention in Central America – and that's at the root of today's border crisis.
EDIT: We messed up on certain map animations, excluding the nation of Belize - it was unintentional. Thanks to everyone who highlighted this to us.

Can Because facts kindly update its map it used in the video to a factual map and stop insulting the people of Belize.

Dear Ms Saeed, Like you, I describe myself as a troublemaker. As a former Senator and human rights defender, it is a label I embrace.
I was very enthralled by your piece with AJ+ on Central America and how US involvement led to a border crisis. Thank you for voicing what so much of us in the Americas, especially Central America know.
But, and it is a BIG but, I am so deeply disappointed that you used maps of Central America to illustrate your points that depict Belize as a part of Guatemala.
You see, I am a proud Belizean, and I have defended my nation’s right to self determination as a diplomat and briefly as its Foreign Minister.
Belize is a sovereign independent nation, and along with Guatemala, forms the geographic throat of Central America.
To see my nation subsumed into Guatemala, which claims more than half my country is a visceral punch to our national solar plexus.
This is particularly so, because during the years of the dirty wars of the late 70s and into the 80s, 90s and even now, Belize has received, accepted and absorbed about 100,000 refugees fleeing these wars from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and most of all, Guatemala. It may not seem like much, but that is about 1/3 of our total population. And we did so peacefully and mostly graciously.
I believe therefore, that we are owed the respect by you, and Al Jazeera, which is deeply admired in Belize, of fixing those maps to show that we are NOT Guatemala, but a nation state which is unique in Central America.
You integrity and proud reputation, so justly earned, depends on it.
Yours truly,
Lisa M Shoman

So important to get this info out there. Thank you.
Next maybe one, or a series, on the Middle East?

Very compelling and definitely a long complicated story that needs telling. 3 things I’d like to see:
1) what about BEFORE the Monroe Doctrine? There was 300+ years of Spanish rule in these areas; how did that affect the development of the political culture of these small nations? And how did the traditions of the indigenous tribes affect the present? These things may or may not outweigh the effect of American interventions in the last 150 years but I believe they are significant. The peoples of Central America did not spring up in 1821 out of a vacuum.
2) what about Belize? What about Costa Rica? I get that the video is trying to focus on where the current migrants/refugees are from, but we should learn why those nations *don’t* have these huge problems while still living in our shadow. And while we’re thinking about that, how about Canada??
3) we bear “moral responsibility”. I don’t disagree. But what does that mean in 2018/2019? What do we *do*? I know that’s policy and politics now, and again this film is just about history but it also preaches morality. That’s ok, but tell me what you think
A) needs to be done
B ) how you want it done
C) how much it’s going to cost
D) and who’s going to pay for it
Thanks.

I am having a hard time opening the video. But lemme guess... We’re the bad guys. Of course.

When I mention this history to my MAGA friends all I ever hear is crickets. They don't care, and cannot comprehend that the United States is not always the good guy.

The US has messed up lots of places. But like an abused person must eventually become an adult; at a certain point one cannot just keep blaming their childhood. Not a perfect analogy, none are. After 20 ? 50? 100 years? The world 🌎 is connected like never before. The examples for success are there.

I would like to see a video on the US involvement in taking resources from the Middle East...mainly oil.

Start the video at 2:40 where the history starts- the current events. That’s the stuff many Americans don’t know or have forgotten. That’s the lazy memory of comfort and development

This one don’t like beans and is poor but back in El Salvador has nice clothing from LOUIS VUITON

I understand the history; I was protesting against US interference in Nicaragua and El Salvador back in the eighties. But there is one thing that puzzles me. Why do the chickens want to come home to roost in the foxes' den?

I wish the ignorant people talking about the immigrants from Central America would realize that this is a problem created in part by the US. These are the fruits of US intervention in Central American politics.

Thank you for illustrating our difficult situation. The caravan is a response to the US backed electoral fraud of Honduras recently. Many of us lost our parents as a result of that dirty US cold war. As a matter of these interventions in our Central America zone by the US, we had to leave our family, our countries in search o a better life.

Kind of missed that part about the Contras being funded by the sale and distribution of Cocaine which created the crack epidemic. Oh almost forgot. This was all supported by the U.S. government but I digress.

Our involvement in Central America goes back more than 100 years. They're not called banana republics because they grow bananas. They're called that because the United Fruit Company (Chiquita bananas) called the shots there in the late 19th/ early 20th-centuries.

Excellent short history of U.S. responsibility for destabilization in Central America -- 200 years of it! As usual, the powerful perpetrators of oppression and violence are turning the victims into criminals. Info like this can counter Trump's and a long line of presidents' lies before him! Well done!

Turns out that selling crack cocaine to black neighborhoods to fund terrorists and Death Squads in Central America wasn't such a good idea, was it George HW Bush? The 300,000 you murdered are waiting for you on the other side.

Marco Delmar some education of why this is happening that you might find interesting 🙂

As salvadorean not living in the US but actually in my country and married to a Nicaraguan who studied IB history most of the information on this video is accuarate . All the stories basically Central America was used to avoid socialism spreading out and were trained by the us military and provided with weapons . This for sure impacted hugely this countries created more poverty more violence etc . Gangs for instance as this video explains increased after deportation hugely and as it explains here it is so true that people with lower incomes here are suffering you can’t grow or put for instance your own deli corner like you see in the states (I’m saying this because I’ve travel to the states as business and tourism love it) but here people worried because a gang member every month asks for $$$ so they can sell .. if not they kill a family member or do even worst things. So yes there is violence that people suffer everyday and worst of all our government can’t even control it .... because as well governments in each Central America countries have not been smart enough to do the proper things ... anyways I believe there is no one to blame all fault but it has indirectly affected in the way this video explains. Last week I went to NY for a week and saw so many latins immigrants my heart was broken to see in which situation we are and how this people seek for the American dream not that dreamy because how much they esrn is how they spend ....living is expensive and they have to think of paying their house food etc and also sending money to families at this countries because there are not job opportunities pr because our public education isnt good enough then you realize it isn’t American dream to see how they are exhausted working two to three jobs it’s heartbroken ... it angers me ... to see this and see no action taken by any government involved to improve this working in its own country... so I guess going to us is not a permanent solution it’s a temporal ... In my opinion the US might help this countries by making international agreements for instance help them fight gangs or invest in education many people don’t have access to descent education it cost so much money that you can’t afford to a good education if you don’t have certain level of incomes ... if they were involved in the Cold War and trained all this people with violence why not do the same but instead help them to get better educated or better health or contain all this gangs that are getting each day stronger than the government itself... just a random thought to think about. Loved this video!!

School of the Americas, Banana Wars, Chiquita Banana and more! Our intervention and imperialism has corrupted Central America as well as other places on the planet. And we do not teach this in school.

Please fix the map of Central America and include Belize!! It is insulting to everyone in my country that you included Belize in Guatamala's map!

American involvement pretty much anywhere is why we have issues today. No one elected the US world police.

Marine Corps General Smedley Buttler wrote a book about US intervention in South and Central America called "War is a Racket" Read it and you will understand how US corporations use the US military to protect their economic interests.

U break it... U buy it. The problem is that the USA always wants to sweep everything under the rug

I am certainly not a historian or well versed on what occurred in Central America nations over the past several decades, but there is little doubt in my mind that direct and indirect U.S. involvement in these countries is absolutely a prime factor in the dire circumstances facing the indigenous populations. All under the guise of "protecting our national security" and "stemming the spread of communism". If one does not see that the U.S. has for decades sought subtle control of these governments to pursue its own ECONOMIC interests they have thei head buried in the sand. And this is a global phenomenon. Follow the money....sad....very sad.